Third-rail insulator.



L. STEINBERG'BR.

THIRD RAIL INSULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1907.

917,501 Patented Apr. 6, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

III I ATTORNEYS L. STEINBERGER. "THIRD RAIL INSULATOR. APPLIOATIVON FILED JUNE 5, 1907.

j wie l wml/F60 ATTORNEYS Patented `Apr. 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Louis STEINBERGR, or New YORK, n. rf

THIRD-RAL INSLATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 6, 1909.

. Application mea June 5, i907. serial No. 377,344.'

To all twhom it may concern: y i i Be it known that l, Louis STEINBERGER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident` of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Third-Rail Insulator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to insulators, my more particular object being to provide an insulator suitable for use in connection with third rails and in analogous relations where heavy conductors are employed.

Among the several objects of my invention are the following: 1.` to provide an anti-friction bearing for supporting the rail, thus permitting the rail to undergo movement in consequence of expansion `and contraction withoutl injury to the insulator; 2. to promote freedom of movement so as to allow the cross-tie to be depressed, and to relieve the supports of undue strains, thereby insuring a long term of usefulness in active service; 3. to admit of the removal or the replacing of any ofthe parts or the entire support without the necessity of raising or removing the rail or interfering with any of the other supports or otherwise interrupting the traffic; 4. to permit a maXimumrelative movement as betweenthe rail and its support in a plurality of directions ;v 5. to provide a support embodying the most thorough form of insulation and possessing the greatest mechanical strength; 6. to

avoid breakage of any of the arts due to sudden relative lmovements as etween the rail and its supports; 7. to providevan/ insulated rail supportpresenting a relatively small mechanica contact surface to the rail, thereby allowing the rail free movement and avoiding the possibility of the rail binding..

on its support by rusting, freezing or otherwise, an thereby bending or breaking it. These and other objects of my invention are described below and pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a partfof this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. l A 1 Figure 1 is .a fragmentary perspective showing one of,myrimprovedinsulators as applied tothe under surface of a `third rail; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the insulator body and its accompanying parts, showing amounting for the rail; Fig. 3 is a -plan lview of the platform surface of the insulator, this' view showing the links in section and also showing the position of the roller used for supporting the rail; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pedestal employed for supporting the insulator body and parts connected therewith; and Fig. 5l is a perspective of one of the links employed for limiting movement between the insulator body and the rail due to depression of the cross-tie.

A cross-tie is shown at 6, and resting upon it is a pedestal 7`secured thereto by means of bolts 8, 9. The bolt 8 passes through a hole 8a andthe bolt 9 through a slot l0, as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 4.

The insulator body is shown at 11 and is provided with annular concentric pettico-ats 12, 13 and 14, these being provided with concentric air spaces 15, 16, and 17. A threaded bolt 18 passes through a hole -18a in the ped- 21 is rovided with an annular flan e 24 iii-.-

IP g

tegra therewith and, concentric to the head 22. This annular flange strengthens the union between the body portion 11 andthe plate 21 and also tends to preserve the plate 21 from abrasive injury from any source. A roller 25 having the form of a lo 'gitudinal sleeve is mounted upon a bolt 26. IlThis bolt is provided with threaded ends 27 which are engaged by revoluble nuts 28, 29. The nuts 2`9serve as nut-locks for the nuts 28 as will be understood from Fig. 2.

The rail is shown at 30 and rests directly upon the roller 25. Clamps 31 encircle the threaded portions 27. Each clamp is provided with a lug 32 and with a vertical slot 33, as will be understood from Fig. 5. The plate 21 is provided with lugs 34 integral therewith and constituting` bearings for supporting the stem 26. Each clamp 21 is further provided at its -lower end with lugs 35 extending in opposite directions. The plate 21 is rovided with lugs 36 extending horizonta y therefrom and arranged in pairs as shown in`Fig. 3,- each pair partially encompassing one of the clamps 31. The lugs 35 serve as limiting stops for the upward moveyment of the clamps 31. i ytop of each clamp 31 serves as a llmiting stop The lug 32 at the for preventing excessive movement ofgthe clamp downward.

The operation is as follows: The parts being in position and the nuts 28-29 being tightened, the rail normally rests upon the downward momentarily so that the lugs 32 approach, and may even rest upon the foot of the rail. Next the threaded portions 27 of the stem 26 reach the bottoms of the slots 33. The limit of movement, therefore, for the insulatorbody 11 and parts secured rig- `idly thereto, is represented by the added movement of the clamps 31 relatively to the rail and the movement of the bolt 26 relativelyv to the links 31. l

Owing to expansion and contraction of the rail, the portion ofthelatter supported by the insulator tends to move back and forth in the general path' represented by the length of the rail. The roller 25 being iree to move,

prevents the rail from catching upon the plate 21, or from pulling the insulator body 1 1n a lateral direction so as to cause any break- In order to remove the insulator from the rail, one of the nuts 28, 29 is unscrewed and the link 31 taken ofi". The bolts 8, 9 are next taken out and the insulator detached. To

remove the insulator body from the pedestal 7 the insulator body is simply turned; this unscrews the bolt 18. By turning the insulator body 11 Within pro er limits, its height may be controlled at l and the insulator body thus adjusted relatively to the rail.

. Ordinarily the insulator body rests upon the washer and is clamped securely thereupon by aid of the bolt 18. If, for any reason, however, such as the temporary displacement of the cross tie 6, it be desired to raise the insulator body relatively to the base 7, the insulator body is simply turned until it clears the washer 20 and is raised a sufficient distance thereover, being now supported upon the bolt 18. In this way the insulator body is e,

adjustable relatively to the base. The puri pose of the washer 2O is to prevent abrasion of the insulator ybody in consequence of the turning of the latter relatively to the base 7, and especially inv instances when the insulator bodyis turned when occupyin practically its lowest limit of travel. As tIie width V of the rail foot is greater than the len' th of thev roller, the rail is not so rigid as Wou d be the case if it rested upon a broad surface. This lack of excessive rigidity is an advantage.

I do not limit myself to any particular ,in-- sulating material to be used in the construction of the insulator'body, but prefer to use electrose. Neither do I limit myself to .extendin Acling sai bolt and extending into said open# the exact form shown for any part, nor in all cases'to the precise arrangement of the parts as disclosed in the drawings.

Having thus described my'invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1f A device of the character described, comprising a body portion, a metallic plate mounted thereupon, a bolt extending across the top oi said metallic plate and sup orted thereby, a roller mounted upon sai bolt, clamps loosely encircling portions of said bolt and adapted to allow saidr bolt to move in a definite lane from said plate, and a rail engaging said roller and provided with portions for engaging portions of said clamps.

2. A device of `the character described, comprising a metallic base, a body of insulating material supported thereu on and having substantially the form o an inverted cone frustum, said body of insulating material being provided with petticoats, a metallic plate mounted upon said body of insulating material, and a roller bearing mounted upon said plate and dis osed lcentrally thereof for supporting ara' 3. A device of the character described, comprising'a metallic plate provided with lugs integral therewith, means for supporting said metallic plate, clamps dispose intermediate said lugs and movable relatively to the same, said clamps being provided with portions for lodging against said plate, a bolt extending through said clamps and ada ted to raise the same relatively to said Yate, and a member engaging said bolt andJ provided with a portion for engaging a rail.

4. A device ofthe character described,

comprising a metallic plate provided with lugs, means for supporting said metallic plate, clamps disposed intermediate said lugs and provi ed with portions for lodging against said lugs,said clamps being movable f f relatively to said plate, a `bolt extending through /said clampsand adapted to lift the same, and a revoluble member encircling saidA bolt and ada tedv to turn relatively thereto, saidv'revolu le member being adapted for engagement with a rail.

5. The combination ,lof'a metallic plate provided centrally with an opening, a bolt across said plate, a roller encirdevice of the character described, I

therefrom, a bolt extending across said plate and normally resting upon said lugs, an anti,- friction bearing secured upon said bolt for engagin the under side of a rail, 'clam 's mounte upon the ends ofaid boltv and dlsf porting member, and mechanism mounted upon said bolt for engaging a rail.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a member of insulating material, means for supporting the same, a metallic plate mounted upon said member ot insuating material and provided with lugs eX- tending upwardly, a roller disposed intermediate said lugs and revoluble in relation" to said metallic plate, and a rail resting upon said roller.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a body ot insulating material, a metallic plate resting upon the same, a bolt `movable relatively to said metallic plate and normally resting thereupon, said bolt being adaptedto normally support the weight ot a rail, and clamps mounted upon-said bolt and normally hanging therefrom, said clamps being provided withlugsvto be engaged by the base of said rail, and being further provided with lugs torengaging' portions of said metallic plate. Y

10. The combination of a metallic plate provided with a pair of lugs, a clamp 'disposed intermediatesaid lugs and movable relatively to the same, said clamp being rovided with portions for engaging said ugs when said clamp is moved to its limit in one direction, a bolt engaging said clamp and adapted to move the same relatively to said metallic plate, said bolt being adapted to sup ort a rail and normally resting upon said p ate but being movablerelatively to the latter in order to adjust said rail to abnormal positions. v

v11. The combination ota metallic plate,

fmeans for supporting the same, va roller disposed adjacenteto said metallic plate, said roller being movable bodily in relation to said platebut normally occupying a predetermined general position relatively theret-o, said roller being adapted to normally engage a rail, a longitudinal memberextending through said roller, and mechanism connected with said longitudinal member and with said plate for the purpose of allowing a limited amount of play between said longitudinal member and said plate. Y

12. A device of the character described,Y

.comprising a metallic supporting member,

a longitudinal member movable in relation thereto'and normally resting thereon, said longitudinal member being provided with means for "supporting a rail, a clamp connected loosely'with said longitudinal member and having a limited play relatively thereto, said clamp being provided with lugs for engaging said rail.

18. A device of the charactervdescribed,

comprising a base, a body of insulating mate-Y rial supported thereby, a metallic p plate mounted upon said body of insulating material, andYYVV rollerF mechanism mounted "upon said plate for supporting a rail.

14. A device ot' the character described,

com rising a base, a body of insulating materia su ported thereby, a metallic member mounte upon said insulating material, clamping mechanism connected to said metallic member, and roller mechanism connected to said clamping mechanism.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS STEINBERGER.

litnesses :y

WALTON HARRISON, EVERARD B. MARSHALL. 

